A rare opportunity for practitioners of Vajrakila, The Buddha of Activities, to receive instruction in the meditation, rituals and history of this compassionate practice directly in English from a highly qualified Lama and scholar of this tradition.

Martin Boord has been fully trained in these profound teachings by Chimed Rigdzin Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche and many other masters. He has finished the traditional meditation retreats under their guidance and has dedicated his life to the study , practice and translation of the ancient Sanskrit and Tibetan texts relating to Vajrakila and received a Phd for his Thesis on this specific subject.

Martin Boord will start a two-year series of weekend retreats for the proper in-depth study and practice of Vajrakīla. The course will consist of five weekends in all: March 2014, September 2014, March 2015, September 2015, and March 2016

Ideally, the group of people who begin this year should attend all five seminar/practice sessions, so as to gain the maximum benefit. There will, of course, be "homework" to practise during the six months interval between sessions …

During the course of the first weekend we will look at the nature of the kila, analysing its different types, functions and modes of employment. Then we will study and practise the method of setting up the three manḍalas: the dharmakaya manḍala, the sambhogakaya manḍala, and the nirmanakaya manḍala.

In order to participate in this training, participants must have received Buddhist Refuge and Bodhisattva vows, an empowerment of Vajrakīla from a qualified lineage holder and have firm faith in Padmasambhava and his teachings. This training is designed to renew those empowerments, in case that there are any participants in the group who have never received a Vajrakila empowerment in any lineage Martin Boord will perform an empowerment for those of us who do not have any.

The first seminar will start on Friday evening, Sat. and Sunday march 21-23 ,

Many Nyingma lamas will teach deity yoga, and Kilaya in particular, prior to students receiving ngondro teachings. This is quite common, actually. Kilaya is the antitode for obstacles and breaches of commitments, after all, and a daily Kilaya practice is an essential part of most Nyingma practitioners recitations.

And in most Karma Kagyu three year retreat curriculums, Kilaya is the first retreat practice one does, prior to ngondro. But this often presupposes that the student has been exposed to the general Mahayana sutra teachings, and likely to general tantric teachings as well. In my experience, most laypeople practice Chenrezig, and many would never do ngondro. Ngondro is "preliminary," in one sense, but also the essence of the inner path, as far as gathering the two accumulations. Guru Yoga, especially, is the most profound practice--IMO, more profound than deity yoga in general. (Of course, deity yoga can be a manifestation of particular kinds of guru yoga, but that's a new tangent....)

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